• Maintain your balance. With few exceptions, you want your head up, your shoulders above and aligned with your hips, and your feet in a natural stance.
• Use your body as a unit. Tense arms or shoulders result when other parts do not do their share of the work. Spread the work out and let your strong parts, such as your hips, do most of the work.
• Use your body the way nature intended. Keep your shoulders and elbows down. Keep your head up. Let your arms move in natural arcs.
• Extend your mind. Your mind controlls the power of your body. If your mind stops at an obstacle, your body will stop as well.
• Remain calm. Good aikido requires calmness in both mind and body. The mind and body both work and expend energy, but do so quietly and efficiently.
• Have confidence. You must have confidence in both the art of aikido and in your ability to do aikido. Confidence grows with experience and practitioners at all levels to improve their confidence.